References for Writers

Find Carolyn's Individual Books and Audios Here:

Click Here for a list of book fairs, tradeshows, conferences and conventions. Your aid to planning ahead.

You will find at least one promotion, writing or tech tip on every page on this site. Sometimes you'll find, two or three! Happy browsing and collecting!

Endorsements

I've been reading your chapter on Amazon again because there is so much
great stuff that you write about and so many resources that authors
can utilize.Your book is now a fixture on my desk.~ Anna Maria Prezio, author of Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster

~~~

Your book on frugal publicity is a 'classic.' I have it, I've read it, I've recommended it, I believe in it, & I've met you... and I can easily talk about it. ~Deborah Granger, radio host and publisher

Awards for Carolyn's Books, Blogs and More

For The New Book Review blog. Nominated by Nikki Leigh.

For The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In-Editor blog.

Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Sharing with Writers blog.

Best Book Award for The Frugal Book Promoter (2004) and The Frugal Editor (2008).

Reader Views Literary Award for The Frugal Editor

New Generation Award for Marketing and Finalist for The Frugal Editor

Book Publicists of Southern California's Irwin Award

Military Writers Award of Excellence for Tracings, A Chapbook of Poetry.

And more than a dozen other awards for Carolyn's novel, short story collection and poetry. See the awards page on this site.

~~~

Site Sponsor:

Crushed by Frances Lynn

Read the stirring saga of the ungainly sibling who suddenly turns into a beautiful swan - and the incredible secret of her birth! Young Adult. 978-0-9553672-3-6

Site Sponsor:

Funds for Writers: You write for money. You know you do. Learn how to find the sources. Newsletters, e-books and a magnificent, award-winning Web site. Chosen Writers' Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers seven years in a row. A site that cares about the writer in you.

Site Sponsor:

Lani's Challenge by Linda Morelli. When Lani Talbot, female detective extraordinaire, seeks the identity of her father's killer, she teams with Washington D.C. police force veteran Garrett Pierce to face danger and death. Contemporary romantic suspense. ISBN 1594660328

Site Sponsor:

PreViews are videos that advertise your book

ReaderViews is your one-stop book review, publicity, video, literary awards, networking & proposal service.

Site Sponsor:

The Whittaker Family Reunion

Author: Shirley A. Roe

ISBN: 978-1-906806-51-4

The Whittaker Family Reunion takes readers back to 1881 and the family is reuniting once again. The in depth historical research circa 1881 makes this book an educational read as well as an enjoyable one.

http://www.theebooksale.com/ebook_store/samples/The-Whittaker-Family-Reunion-sample.pdf

Tip

Clips from an interview I did with Valerie Connelly are included in her book, Calling All Authors. Besides a radio host, Valerie is also a publisher so this book is full of things she'd like her authors to know. The more the author knows about publishing and promotion, the more successful both the author and his or her publisher.

Find at least one tip on writing, promotion or tech on every page of this Web site.

Inspiration, References, How-To Books, Audios, and Other Helps for Writers!

The Best Place To Learn About Craft and Promotion Is Books, Of Course!

Other Writers' Resource Pages

Media release disseminators, content providers, and sites that accept book and author information at no cost: Click Here

How-to books for writers, reference books and books of inspiration for writers only! Any one will make a great companion to The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor! It includes a list of helpful free e-books and some CDs you can learn tons from, too! Click Here

Contests you can count on, and articles on how to promote with contests. Click Here.

List of book fairs, tradeshows, conferences and conventions. Your aid to planning ahead. Click Here

Writers' Conferences: The Big and the Cozy. A list of book fairs, tradeshows, conferences and conventions. Your aid to planning ahead. Click Here

Writers' programs at US universities. (New Master of Science in Publishing listed!) Click Here

FREE Muse Online Writers Conference. Click Here

Digital (print-on-demand) printers. Click Here

Reviews--Major review journals--some that review POD-published books--and suggestions for getting reviews. Click Here

Small Publishers. Click Here.

Great Books for Writers

So, you're on the right track! Find what you need for your writing and promotion efforts here!

Terry Whalin will help you get on the right track. He and I met while speaking at a writers' conference. I loved what he had to say, bought his book on writing proposals by for my husband and highly recommend his advice. He says:

"'You should write a book.' "'Some day I'm going to write a book.'

"Over 80% of people plan to write a book and more than six million of them have already written a manuscript. Admittedly there are dozens of companies who will take your money and publish your book. How do you get a book publisher to pay you for your book?

"Former book acquisitions editor Terry Whalin says editors and publishers don't read manuscripts. They read book proposals. In BOOK PROPOSALS THAT SELL, 21 SECRETS TO SPEED YOUR SUCCESS, you learn the inside scoop to achieve your dreams."

Other Books for Writers: Nice Desk Companions for Any of the Frugal Series

Carolyn's newest in the How To Do It Frugally Series of books for writers is two-time award-winning The Frugal Editor designed to help authors hire better editors, better partner with their editors and self-edit when necessary.

Procrastinator's Guide To Authorship: A Step-By-Step, 7-Month Training Program To Complete Your Book Get
It Published and Make Big Money . I recently reviewed author coach and bestselling author Rita Emmett's new program titled:
Procrastinator's Guide To Authorship: A Step-By-Step, 7-Month Training Program To Complete Your Book Get
It Published and Make Big Money. If you're in a hurry, just go right ahead & take a look at this web page to see what I'm talking about: http://frugalbook.authoru.hop.clickbank.net If you're frustrated. If you're big on starting but not so good at finishing then Rita's program may be perfect for you. http://frugalbook.authoru.hop.clickbank.net

Publishing Possibilities by Cheryl Picket is a fine companion to Carolyn's series of HowToDoItFrugally Books. www.publishinganswers.com

Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers by Joyce Shafer: A reader says, "I just finished your e-book. I really enjoyed it and will use the information provided. I really enjoy your writing style. I always feel as if you are talking with me or right next to me. I have read other books on writing, but you cut through all the fluff and provide very pertinent and usable information. Definitely worth the money! Your e-book will absolutely help me as I continue to write mine. (Download and preview chapter available at http://www.lulu.com/content/2805803)

For All Writers

The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write (ISBN: 978-0-9795475-5-3) by Mark David Gerson. Tools, Tips and Inspiration to Unleash the Power of Your Creative Potential.

"Building a character from the ground up is simple. Building a memorable, living, breathing human being is a most daunting and complicated task, until now. ...Billie A Williams...[gives] character-building tips, tricks, and tools you can master in one afternoon." ~ Beth Erickson, editor, publisher and freelance copywriter.

For a Free PDF Sampler of the first chapters of all my please email Billie at
billie@billiewilliams.com. Put SAMPLER in the subject line.

Get Noticed . . . Get Referrals by Jill Lublin is not specifically for authors but it is a great book for learning what public relations is all about. Find my review of it here under Reviews for Riters (tm).

Nikki Leigh has released Book Promo 101 as an e-book. I am a contributor. For more information - visit http://www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm. Order the e-book from Nikki's publisher www.ebooksonthe.net/catalog/eBooks_Catalog_NonFiction2.html

Janet Elaine Smith's PromoPaks are step-by-step free (or almost free) tried and proven promotional procedures that are, according to Kristie Leigh Maguire, "so simple I could have thought of them--but I didn't!" Purchased at Star Publish on the e-books page.

Kristi Holl's Writer's First Aid, gives writers help and encouragement. She is the author of 35 books and experience counts.

Why Your Writing Isn't Working and How to Fix It ISBN 0-9656309-8-6 Audio Book.

This single CD packs into one hour what you might get from a week-long writing workshop. It has been distilled from classes, seminars and workshops given from Florida to Finland and holds the accumulated wisdom of 25 years of writing, editing and publishing savvy. It will open your eyes and save you time.

A low-priced e-book from Yvonne Perry is great for beginning promoters. Book Marketing in the Digital Age: Online Promotion Made Easy.

I've done cross-promotion with this desk companion to books in the Frugal Series. Book Marketing from A to Z by Francine Silverman is available on Amazon.

There have been plenty of books on writing a novel, and plenty on how to get published. YOUR FIRST NOVEL by novelist Laura Whitcomb and seasoned literary agent Ann Rittenberg is the first to cover both topics comprehensively. Published by Writers Digest Books, YFN is an insider's guide through the entire process for the aspiring novelist. Read more about it on MySpace or purchase it now on Amazon!

June Casagrande's Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (Penguin) is not only full of good stuff that will make a better editor of you, it's fun. It is a great companion to The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Find Meanies at Amazon.

How to Write Your Own Life Story ISBN 0-9656309-5-1

Your life is unique. Now learn to write it - for history, as a legacy for your family, to discover a new perspective on your life. It will guide you step by step in the writing; tell you how to publish it and explain how to market it. This got high marks from The American Library Association's Booklist.

PS: My award-winning novel This Is the Place and my book of creative nonfiction stories, Harkening, are examples of how your genealogy and your diaries might turn into different kinds of books. Find them both at www.bn.com .

The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Mayra Calvani will teach you everything you’ll ever need to know about reviewing, from how to write them to understanding their influence over the wider spectrum of the publishing world.

http://www.amazon.com/Slippery-Art-Book-Reviewing/dp/1933353228/

Check out Peter Bowerman's Well-Fed Writer books.

The Writer's Tool Box audiobook:ISBN 0-9656309-1-9. CD set:ISBN 0-9656309-1-9

In-depth help with your writing, focusing on the all-important aspects of plot, viewpoint, characters and openings. By Patrika Vaughn.

Michelle Dunn's e-book report on a book marketing success system ix excellent.

The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success - Author C. Hope Clark advises you how to "sell your words, not your soul" when you promote your work.

Website Tip

Offer a free e-book, free articles, free content as gifts to people who visit your Web site.

Find at least one tip on writing, promotion or tech on every page of this Web site.

Write, Publish & Market Your Book ISBN 0-9656309-1-9.

As Sandpiper Publications put it, "Throw everything else away! If you're serious about writing a book, this is the only book you'll ever need on the subject." By Patrika Vaughn.

The Complete Writer offers advice on writing, editing, proofreading, publishing and design. Published by Red Engine Press.

The Complete Writer's Journal is the best way for writers to track their minute-by-minute ideas because it supports emerging and seasoned writers, both the ones who contributed to this cross-promotional effort as well as the ones who use it as a profit-booster at fairs.Edited by Pat McGrath Avery, Joyce Faulkner, Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Published by Red Engine Press.

Writing for Profit: Break into Magazines by Cheryl Wright. Click here to order this e-book. Click here for Carolyn Howard-Johnson's review of it. The review is available for reprint at no charge. Those who order Writing for Profit get a free list of magazines that pay for content.

Calling All Authors, How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open by Valerie Connelly. Read, learn and give a review. Order the it at the Nightengale Press bookstore.

Don't Murder Your Mystery and by Chris Roerden is an Agatha Award winner and a Writer's Digest Book Club selection.

Watch for Don't Sabotage Your Submissions by Chris Roerden, a fine complement to The Frugal Editor.

Here is a CD that will step you through the process of copyrighting your own book by Grace LaJoy. http://www.gracelajoy.com/eshop/20Review.asp?ProductCode=24

The Publisher’s Bookstore ( http://www.texanapublishing.com/ ) features nearly 100 books about writing, publishing and book marketing, arranged by category to help you quickly find the resources you need. Whether you are just beginning your publishing journey or looking for ways to boost your book sales, you’ll find a wealth of information from experienced authors, publishers, and marketers.

Speak with Passion, Speak with Power! by Pamela Gilbreath Kelly is an essential book to learning to use your innate speaking skills (and, yes, your passion!) to sell your brook. It's available on Amazon and B&N.com.

From Book Signing to Best Seller by Joe Condril.

Produced by Fleetwood Multimedia, Inc., The Complete Recordings of Workshops and Keynotes from The University of Dayton's Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop. www.fleetwoodonsite.com/bombeck. Includes a session on humor from Craig Wilson of USA Today, "An Evening with Garrison Keillor" (Yes, the real Garrison), a keynote from Connie Schultz and, yes, "Don't Tick off the gatekeepers: Great editing counts" from Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Order it at http://www.fleetwoodonsite.com/product_info.php?cPath=104_105&products_id=2457 .

Take your writing to the next level with Writers On Call writing teleclasses.

Nancy Mills, founder of Spirited Woman, produces a tele-chat series where you can learn from other successful authors. To query Nancy get a strong platform behind you. To learn to do that, check HowToDoItFrugally books on book promotion. Nancy has only a handful of spots each year so you will need to prove the power of your following to her. (-: Sign up now listen to this exciting series, http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/spirited_woman_circle/2008/01/conversation--4.html or to the likes of Jacqueline Mitchard, author of the Deep Sea of the Ocean and Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay It Forward. Find the entire series at: http://www.thespiritedwoman.com/spirited_woman_circle .To listen live, register in advance. CDs are available after each interview.

Hear Roger C. Parker interview book promotion experts of every ilk, including Yvonne Perry, John Kremer, Rick Frishman and me. His site is amazing. You're sure to get an education. http://www.publishedandprofitable.com/public/department80.cfm

Stacie Vander Pol includes a chapter on the packages offered by different subsidy publishers in her Top Self Publishing Firms.

In this bleak economy, there is still one avenue that's free - being a guest on radio. Talk Radio Wants You - An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited (McFarland & Co 2009) provides all you need to know about each show before contacting a host - the theme, guest criteria, the host's opinion of the best and worst guests and what determines who gets invited back. Read more about it at http://www.talkradioadvocate.com

Finding Great Writing References and, Yes, Inspiration

I love making lists. You'll find many books not listed here on my Amazon Listmanias. Just click and scroll. You'll find lists of books on book promotion, publishing, the craft of writing. We, as writers, should be buying as many books from others as we can. It's a double gift. The buyer gets a book that's desktop-handy when we need it and those who wrote the book get the support they need to write more!

Find at least one tip on writing, promotion or tech on every page of this Web site.

Free Books on Publishing and Writing

Publishing Basics for Children's Books: A Guide for the Small Press and Self-Publisher is available on request at www.BooksJustBooks.com or by sending a request on a postcard to RJ Communications, 41 E. 42nd St, Ste 1202, NY, NY 10017. It is a hardback that looks like the children's book you may want to publish.

A full paperback, Publishing Basics: A Guide for the Small Press and Self-Publisher by Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. with Ron Pramschufer, is available on request at www.BooksJustBooks.com or by sending a request on a postcard to RJ Communications, 41 E. 42nd St, Ste 1202, NY, NY 10017.

The Career Novelist may be downloaded free at http://www.maassagency.com/books.html . It''s highly recommended by my friend Terry Whalin.

Feeling Depressed or Blocked?

Joyce White's book Sculpting the Heart might help. It's not really a book specifically for writers but I reccomend it for those blue days or even more serious depression. Learn more at http://www.joycewhiteblog.com/

Click Here for a list of book fairs, tradeshows, conferences and conventions. Your aid to planning ahead.

Find more content on this site's Free Articles 4 Readers and Editors. It includes Reviews for Riters, how to articles for writers, essays on tolerance and more.

For lots more links for reading and writing stuff, visit Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Sharing with Writers and Readers blog.

Promotion Tip

Use Listmanias on Amazon to get better exposure for your book. Just make a list of great books in the same category as yours and add yours to it! That list may eventually appear on the buying page of every single one of the books you list! More than 46,000 people have clicked on my lists. Can't sniff at that kind of targeted marketing, now can we! PS: You'll find more details of how to build a list in The Frugal Book Promoter.

Find at least one tip on writing, promotion or tech on every page of this Web site.

(For resources and links galore, grab yourself copies of the Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor.)

Click here for Carolyn's first person essay, "Beating Time at Its Own Game."

Purchase THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER as a thick, full-size e-book priced to accommodate the budgets of starving students and authors at Star Publish.

Purchase THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER and THE FRUGAL EDITOR in trade paperback at Amazon. The Amazon Short, THE GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION BOOK PROPOSAL, too!

Purchase THIS IS THE PLACE, HARKENING and TRACINGS at Amazon.

Purchase CHERISHED PULSE at the Compulsive Reader.

Purchase and find all the audios for writers at Tri-Studio .

"Careers that are not fed die as readily as any living organism given no sustenance." ~ Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Studio photography by Uriah Carr

Logo by Lloyd King

Future Plans for How To Do It Frugally Series:

The Frugal Amazon Promoter
The Frugal Retailer Promotes
The Frugal Author Builds an Agent-Friendly Package

Important Resources

Book Proposal Help

Former book acquisitions editor Terry Whalin says, "editors and publishers don't read manuscripts. They read book proposals. In Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success, you learn the inside scoop to achieve your dreams." I highly recommend it.

~~~

Promotion Services

You'll find direction in the Frugal Book Promoter for building your own media kit; if you choose not to build your own, the information there will make you a better partner for a publicist you might hire to help you. I recommend PressKit 24/7, the brainchild of publicists with over forty years' experience. We know the speed at which you need to work, and we know what it takes to get the media's attention. It was critical for us to be able to create professional online press kits for our own clients. So we understand what you need for yours.

~~~